Twin Cities Gems – James J. Hill House

I want to start a new series on here that focuses on some of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. These are the places that we as locals love and are what we want show off to visitors. A jewel in our crown if you will. 🙂

Of course, you couldn’t make a list of gems in the Twin Cities without including the James J. Hill house. I’ll hit you with a little bit of history first! James J. Hill was the builder of the Great Northern Railway which spanned from St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington and has been called the “Empire Builder”. Needless to say, he was a big deal around here and was very wealthy. The house itself was finished in 1891 and at the time was the largest and most expensive house in Minnesota. For more information about the house, head the Minnesota Historical Society page on it here.

I was lucky enough to tour the house through an instameet put on by my friends at MN Community. Quick plug on MN Community. These gals hustle on a daily basis to show of Minnesota through events and instameets. Check out their page for more information about all of their amazing upcoming events.

On a typical day, you have to take a guided tour through the house but we had the advantage of being able to explore on our own. You really got the chance to look in all the nooks and crannies and have time to admire all of the amazing details of this house. Even though this house is grand, it really is all about the craftmanship and amazing attention to detail that makes this house stand out.

As you can see, the James J. Hill house is an architectural treasure and something we are very proud to have in the Twin Cities. To make a day of it, take a stroll down the rest of Summit Avenue and see all the other grand houses in that neighborhood. Let me know what you think of the house once you go check it out!

Tell me more, tell me more:

Hours? Open 10-4 Wednesday to Saturday, 1-4 on Sundays

Location? Right on Summit Ave across from the Cathedral : 240 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN55102

Cost? $10 for adults, $6 for kids and $8 for seniors

Tour information? 75-minute guided tour, offered every half-hour from Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 651-297-2555.